The sprawling D Block ground which had been the venue for public meetings, is all set to wear a new look as the district administration is establishing a walking track around the ground and also setting up children’s park in the middle at an estimated cost of Rs 1.2 crore.
The 800-metre-long walking track with paver blocks and lighting facilities would be a boon to people from various walks of life and especially to those who go for regular walking.
The D block ground, located near the Collectorate complex would also have facilities for open gymnastics and a park for children, official sources said.
Collector K. Nanthakumar conceived the project after elaborate discussion with local MP A. Anwar Raja, who has contributed Rs. 80 lakh from the MP constituency development fund, the sources said.
The Department of Rural Development has taken up the work recently and has started levelling the ground and paving the way for the walking track.
The levelling work on the 48-acre ground was nearing completion after which, the 14-foot-wide track would be laid, sources said.
“We are planning to complete the works and throw open the track for walkers by the end of September,” sources added.
The ground would be fenced with diamond fencing and high mast lights would be installed on all the four sides and in the middle of the ground. Besides, lamps posts would be installed at every 20 metres along the walking track, the sources added.
The levelling work served a double purpose as earth removed from the waterbodies in Pattinamkathan, Madakottan and Sakkarakottai areas was used here to raise the ground level. On the one hand, the waterbodies got deepened and on the other, the ground located in a low lying area was raised, the sources added.
The Collector has sanctioned Rs. 40 lakh from the discretionary fund, sources said. On Friday, A. Kalyanasundaram, Assistant Director, Panchayat, S. P. Ramachandran, Assistant Executive Engineer and P. Muthukumar, Assistant Engineer supervised the levelling works.
